GEOL 321—Search for Our Past
Fall 2008
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Instructor:= |
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Dr. Maribeth Price |
MI-305 |
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Office Hours &n= bsp; |
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 11-12 or by appointment |
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394-1290 (office)) or 394-2461 (Dept. office) |
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email: Maribeth.Price@sdsmt.edu |
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web page: http://www.sdsmt.edu= /online-courses/geology/mprice |
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Course Sche= dule: |
Lectures: Tuesday,Thursday 9:30-11am EP 251A |
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Course
Objectives:
1) = Survey the linked history and development of the earth and life on earth.
2) = Comprehend the implications of geologic time, stratigraphy, age dating, and the fossil record.
3) = Research the geologic history of sections of the United States and relate it to the events and principles learned in class
4) = Explore the linkages between earth history and society
Course Outcom=
es
Evolution of t= he Earth, Dott and Prothero, 7h ed= ., McGraw-Hill, 1994. (textbook)= Previous editions acceptable.
In this course we will use D2L, an online course conte= nt module, to facilitate much of the daily course activity. We will learn how to do the following:
Ø Download course material such as lecture not= es
Ø View and submit your assignments electronica= lly
Ø Receive your graded assignments and comments=
Ø Take online quizzes and review the answers a= fter they are graded
Ø Correspond with the instructor and other students by email and discussion boards
Ø Keep track of your grades and progress in the class
The login page for D2L can be found at http://D2L.sdbor.edu By registering = for the course, you should automatically be placed in the D2L roster. To enter the course, however, you will need to enter your student ID and password. Up to date information on your ini= tial ID and password can be found by going to the main SDSMT web page (www.sdsmt.edu) and choosing the links un= der Popular Links > Distance Education.&nbs= p; The Frequently Asked Questions link provides the info you need, as w= ell as answers to other questions.
The North Ame=
rican
Geology Project (NAG)
Throughout the semester you will be working on a long research paper that describes the geologic history of different physiograph= ic regions of the United States. The goal of this project is to have you interpret and synthesize the geologic principles and events covered in class and combine that knowledge with rese= arch on different areas of the US to achieve a greater understanding of how geol= ogic processes have shaped the US and how the geologic structures and features s= een today developed through time. This paper constitutes about 50% of your grade.= It will contain 15 sections. You will submit drafts of each section throughout the semester, time= d to correspond with or shortly follow discussion of the related principles and events in class. You will rec= eive additional information about this project in class and in the relevant sect= ions of the Content tab in D2L.
The lecture sessions will include a mixture of lecture= time, learning activities, and class discussion.= The lectures will focus on highlighting and explaining key concepts = of historical geology and relating them when possible to the NAG regions. Come prepared by doing the assigned readings early in the week.
Powerpoint versions of the lecture notes can be downlo= aded from the course web site for your convenience.
Attendance will be taken for every class. Each class period attended is wort= h two points. Everyone starts the semester with 4 attendance points for free, meaning that you can miss two classes before it starts to affect your grade. During the semester we will be eng= aging in a variety of activities designed to get you thinking about the course material and how earth science impacts society. You will typically have a short in= -class assignment which will usually be turned in at the end of class. Sometimes we will have a brief sur= prise quiz or written response paper. Most assignments are worth two points—minimal efforts will rec= eive 1 point. Occasionally a really great effort merits extra points. At the end of the semester, your total attendance and activity points are summed and divided by the= total possible attendance and class activity points. Your percentage is added to your f= inal point total for the class.
Since the goa=
l is
class participation, class activity assignments must be turned in at the en=
d of
class to receive credit. No l=
ate
assignments will be accepted.
The textbook contains a wea= lth of interesting information, and the chapters are long. You are not expected to remember everything, and there will be no exams.&nb= sp; However, you ARE expected to read the material, engage with it, mast= er the key concepts, and use it as a primary resource to write your NAG paper.= The KEY focus of this class is to = take the general information from the text and apply it to understand the geolog= y of the physiographic regions of the US. Your NAG project must make reference to the key events and principles that we study. For each chapt= er, a list of the Key Topics is provided. Be sure to pay special attention to these sections and make sure you understand them thoroughly.
This semester you are respo=
nsible
for learning the geologic time
scale eras, periods, and epochs as shown in Table 4.1 of your textbook. Be able to list them in or=
der
from oldest to youngest and spell them correctly. You will also need to learn the ag=
e, in
millions of years, of the start of each of the eras. We will learn it in pieces startin=
g with
the second week. Make sure yo=
u have
mastered the current week’s requirement as well as remembering all the
previous weeks. Most quizzes =
will
have at least one question on the time scale.
To assist you in keeping up= with the readings and making sure you understand the material, each week a D2L q= uiz will be given that highlights the key topics from the text and the time sca= le. You may take the quiz anytime over= three days (Thur-Sat), and are given two attempts so that you can correct your mistakes. You may use your bo= ok during the quiz. However, the quizzes are timed so you should not expect to do well if you go in cold wit= hout reading the chapter first. Also, the final quiz grade is an average of your= two attempts. This is to encourag= e you to read and understand the material from the chapter BEFORE attempting the first quiz.
To prepare for the quizzes,= I recommend the following procedure.
1)&n= bsp; READ the chapter(s) from end to end.
2)&n= bsp; Reread and study the sections in the Key Top= ics to make sure you understand them.
3)&n= bsp; Take the first quiz.
4)&n= bsp; Review your quiz results and find out the answers to any questions you missed.
5)&n= bsp; Repeat the quiz and get a perfect score!
Although you are allowed to= use your book, consulting with other students on the quizzes is not permitted.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Sharing the questions with other s= tudents who have not taken the quiz yet is completely unfair to everyone in the cla= ss and will be considered a severe violation of the Honor Policy if you are caught.
Make-ups on quizzes will NOT be granted for any reason= . Missing one or two quizzes will no= t hurt you, as long as the balance of your work is good.
Seminar Atten=
dance
The Geology department schedules seminars from campus =
and
outside speakers on Friday at
Each seminar is worth 2 points which is added to your activity/attendance score. Dr. Price is usually taking attendance at these seminars. If you come to the seminar, make s= ure she sees you and marks you present! Occasionally another faculty member will take attendance if I am not there. Find out who and make = sure he marks you present.
Grading
Each assignment is worth a certain number of points.
Honor Policy
It is acceptable to discuss=
and
share learning with other students on the readings and the NAG projects.
You ARE permitted to use yo= ur book during quizzes. However, you = are not permitted to consult with other students on quizzes, or discuss or share any of quiz questions with other students at any time. Sharing the content of the quizzes = is completely unfair to other students in the class, and will be considered a severe violation of the Honor Policy if it is detected.
Suspected honor violations = will result in a verbal and/or written warning to the student. Documented violations large or sma= ll will be reported to the Dean of Students, and will receive a penalty, depen= ding on the severity of the case, ranging from a zero for the assignment in ques= tion to a failing grade for the class.
Attendance, Late Work, and Makeups
I follow the general policy= of the working world, which assumes that you are a responsible adult and can sched= ule your own time and activities in order to meet your responsibilities. Conversely, it is your responsibil= ity to ensure so far as you can that your life’s vicissitudes do not require additional time or effort from others.&nbs= p;
I thus expect you to take
responsibility for your own performance, and accept the consequences that y=
ou
may incur as a result of your decisions and actions. This means that if you are traveli=
ng,
then turn in your assignments early.
If you have a late assignment, through illness or any other reason, =
then
turn it in as soon as you can and accept the applied penalty cheerfully.
Excused absences for
school-sponsored events will not be deducted from your attendance score.
Work turned in late, for wh= atever reason, will receive an automatic 30% penalty, and may not be graded if I h= ave already graded the others. Th= us it is still worth your while to turn it in, but chronic lateness will affect y= our grade. Many of my assignments= are designed to ensure that you keep up with the work and are prepared for class activities, so lateness affects your participation and the experience of the entire class. That is why I penalize it.
I do understand that occasi= onally illness or emergencies can interfere with your plans, and a little room is built into my grading system such that an occasional missed or late assignment is not going to wreck your grade. So just take it in stride and make= sure that the rest of your work is good. That is your best insurance against minor setbacks.
On the other hand, if you have an extended illness or other situati=
on
that seriously interferes with your ability to carry out your school work f=
or a
week or more, please let me know at the earliest opportunity, so we can dec=
ide
how best to resolve it.
As a general rule, I do NOT= grant Incompletes. I will consider it in cases of ext= ended illness or other extenuating circumstances, depending on how much of the co= urse has been completed, and how responsible you have been in general about meet= ing class deadlines. Please note that lack of time manageme= nt on your part does not constitute an extenuating circumstance.
Electronic Device Policy
Please turn off your cell phone before class starts. N= o text messaging in class. No headphones. If you wish to use a laptop in this class for purposes of note taking ONLY, that’s fine. No web surfing, emailing, or game-playing in class is permitted, and violators will be excused immediate= ly from class for the day and marked absent.&= nbsp; Repeat offenders may be dropped from the course. I’d rather you didn’t c= ome to class at all than come and distract your classmates. No other use of any ot= her electronic/computer media is allowed during class time.
Freedom in Learning Statement
Freedom in learning. Students are responsible for learning the content of any course of study in which they are enrolled. Und= er Board of Regents and University policy, student academic performance shall = be evaluated solely on an academic basis and students should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study. Students who believe that an academic evaluation is unrelated to academic standards but is related instead to judgment of their personal opinion or conduct should contact the dean of the college which offers the class to initiate a review of the evaluation.